West Midland Bird Club

Buzzard Survey, 1954

During 1954 a survey into the breeding distribution of the Buzzard in Great Britain and into its feeding habits, was organised for the British Trust for Ornithology by Dr. N. W. Moore, of the Nature Conservancy. The West Midlands lie on the eastern fringe of a stronghold of the species in Wales, and not unnaturally, our greatest efforts were made in West Worcestershire. All the likely breeding areas of the species were covered along the Teme Valley from Worcester to Rochford, about two miles short of Tenbury. Although the area around Tenbury itself could not be covered, there is evidence that two pairs have bred there recently. However, these pairs have not been included in the table below. Other areas of Worcestershire which were carefully searched were the Alfrich and Suckley area between River Teme and Leigh Brook; the Lenches; the Malvern area; the extreme north-east of the county.

Coverage of Warwickshire was much more patchy, and most areas were searched without success. However negative results in areas which may in future hold the species are valuable in tracing future population trends. Not all efforts were fruitless, for once again the species was proved to breed in the county.

A search of the area south of a line from Market Drayton to Stone did not result in any birds being found in Staffordshire, but one pair did breed in the county for the first time for over a century, to the N.E. of Stafford.

There is insufficient evidence to show how many young reached the flying stage.

Hatching success was high in the cases where nests were watched throughout the breeding season. Out of 5 nests in which 13 eggs were laid, 12 young hatched. From another nest 3 young were reared, indicating a high hatching success, as the species usually lays no more than 3 and only exceptionally more than 4 eggs. In the 5 nests mentioned above, 4 had clutches of 3 and the other of 1. This last clutch indicates that eggs had been removed.

The survey so far as the Club's area is concerned would not have been possible but for the help of the following, who carried out a very considerable amount of field-work.

Miss Glenister, Messrs. M. A. Arnold, F. Colley, L. R. Greening, A. J. Harthan, D. W. Hildred, G. C. Lambourne, G. E. Lewis, W. G. Luton, B. H. Parsons, C. R. L. Reece, R. G. Salter, G. H. Skirrow, N. R. Went, A. R. Wife.

The results of the Survey for the country as a whole will be published in "Bird Study."

A. R. M. Blake